© 2024 KRWG
News that Matters.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Senator Bingaman Opposed To Public Broadcasting Cuts

By Vanessa Dabovich

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/krwg/local-krwg-952613.mp3

Las Cruces, NM – House Republicans proposed eliminating public broadcasting funding entirely last week as part of an effort to cut $100 billion in federal spending from the president's 2011 fiscal year budget.

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting or CPB provides funding for PBS and NPR stations across the country.

Congressional Democrats are vowing to fight the public broadcasting cuts as they did with previous budget battles.

Senator Bingaman says he can see a reduction happening, but doesn't support complete elimination of funding.

Bingaman-"I think unfortunately this is an issue that has more of an ideological bent to it than it does a fiscal conservatism bent to it. I think some particularly here in the congress on the republican side feel the CPB is too liberal in its programming and doesn't adequately reflect the more conservative right wing views that they favor and accordingly it has always been a target for them in spending proposals."

Republican counterparts in congress say their action isn't related to ideological concerns, but are among necessary cuts. Republican Representative Hal Rogers, who is chairman of the Appropriations Committee, said in a statement he believes these reductions are necessary to show that congress is serious about returning the nation to a sustainable financial path.

However, President Obama's budget proposal released Monday keeps a $451 million dollar appropriation in place for the CPB until 2014 which would be a $6 million increase over its 2012 appropriations.

Debate on the budget proposals began Tuesday.